swinborne



(Specimens.)

P. W. P. & L. P. SWINBORNE. GELATINOUS PRODUCT.

No. 408,636. Patented Aug. e, 18,89.

N. PETERSy Fhalllhngnphor. Washington, D4 C.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK W. P. SWINBORNE KAND LATIMER P. SlVINBORNE-OF LONDON,

ENGLAND.

eELATlNoUs PRODUCT.

`SPECIFICATION forming part of Iletters Patent No. 408,636, dated August 6, 1889.

Application filed November 28, 1888. Serial No. 292,141. (Specimens.)

To all whom, it may] concern:

Be it known that We, FREDERICK lV. P. SWINBOENE and LAiriMER P. SWINBOENE,

manufacturers, subjects of the Queenof Great Britain, both residing at Nos. 33 and 34 St. Andrews Hill, Queen Victoria Street, London, E. O., England, jointly have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Treatment of Hides or Skins to Obtain Gelatinous Matters therefrom, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is cheaply, economically, and expeditiously to obtain pure gelatinous matter-fit for foodas well as for other purposesfrom hides or skins by direct simple treatment without the use of chemicals, which ends we attain in the following manner; Y

Ve preferably take fresh untainted hides or skins, wash and otherwise thoroughly cleanse them, cut them into thin leaves, shreds, or other suitable analogous forms, and dry them quickly in a current of air before they have an opportunity of becoming tainted.

The cutting of the hide or skin allows the air freely to permeate it, so that it can be thoroughly dried before decomposition has time to setin, and the dry cuttings will keep for an indefinite time, and can be used for cooking or other purposes, as gelatines or isinglasses are now employed.

Dry hides or those treated with lime or other preservative should be thoroughly Washed before treatment, as above described.

Raw hide gives the best result; but the process must be carried out with great care; otherwise the product will be tainted. Liming, on the Vother hand, prevents decomposition, but if carried to excess is prejudicial to the product.

Calf-skin gives the best result; but ox or other skins may be used.

The hide or skin may be Washed after the cutting; but this must be done quickly; otherwise the material will swell and become sticky.

The product obtained in th'e manner above described contains coloring-matter and other impurities. To remove these and obtain a superior product we remove superficial layers from both the hair s ide and the flesh side of the .percentage of fibrous material.

Hide or skin thus treated is often thin enough to dry properly without further reduction; but if thick it should be further divided. The dry product may in all cases be cut still smaller. For example, if in the form of leaves, it may be desirable to shred them after drying.

The hide or skin may be pounded, pressed, rolled, or otherwise attenuated, reduced, or disintegrated, either before or after removing its superficial layers in place of cutting, as above described; but the product thus obtained does not look so well.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrative of our improved process, Figure 1 represents an edge view of an unhaired and fleshed skin, showing our preferred system of preliminary cutting. This cutting may be done in various Ways, a convenient one being to pass the hide or skin between rolls armed with cutters. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same cut skin pulled or rolled out to expose its cut surfaces to the air, and Fig. 3 is a similar view of a fleshed skin with the hair upon it, showing the cuts whereby the superficial layers 011 both sides are removed from the middle portion. All these views are considerably magnified.

The superficial layer a comprises the grain and hair-roots. The middle portion b is almost pure gelatine, while the lower superficial layer c is composed of gelatinous matter more or less mixed with fat, flesh, veins, &c.

The transverse preliminary cuts shown in Fig. l are made alternately on the two sides, extending almost but not quite through the middle portionfrom each side. This permits of the cut hide or skin being pulled or rolled out into the thin strip shown in Fig. 2. It will, however, be understood that many other systems of cutting may be adopted.

IOO

Although the hair is shown in Fig. 3, it is evident that the process is equally applicable to unhaired hides.

The above-described cutting not only allows the hide readily to dry while it remains sweet, but also permits a great part of the gelatine to be extracted by hot water merely, thus rendering boiling unnecessary. Such gelatinous matter is consequently ot' superior quality.

XVe are aware that pieces of hides and skins heretofore have been dried and sold (for the extraction of gelatinous matter therefrom) under the name of glue-pieces, but owing to their size and thickness they necessarily become more or less tainted during the drying process, which renders them entirely unfit for food and many other purposes.

Swinbornes English patent, No. 11,978 0f 1847, describes a method of obtaining gelatinous matters by reducing glue-pieces into films, shavings, or thin slices by successive operations of soakin g in pure water and other processes therein described, which differ materially from ours, especially in the soaking of the shavings, which is fatal to success. le wash the skin quickly to cleanse it, but

do not soak the shavings before drying them. Consequently our product retains all the original gelatinous constituents of the hide unaltered, which is not the case with the patent above mentioned.

Having thus fully described our improved treatment of hides and skins, what we claim as new and of our own invention is- 1. The hereinbefore-described gelatinous product, consisting of the middle portion of hide or skin remaining after the removal of its superficial layers, dried thoroughly before decomposition has commenced.

2. The hereinbefore-described gelatinous product, consisting of the middle portion of hide or skin remaining after the removal of its superficial layers, subdivided into thin leaves or pieces, and dried thoroughly before decomposition has commenced.

F. 7. P. SWVINBORNE. L. P. SVINBORNE.

NVitnesses:

THEO. J. POTTER, CHARLES ROBERTSON, Clerks to lllessrs. West, Kng, Adams et: Oo.,

Solicitors, 66 Camion Street, London. 

